Darryl Harris juggles a job, family and other obligations that keep him fairly busy.

But the Hattiesburg resident also invests countless hours doing volunteer work to make his community and the world around him a better place.

Harris always finds a way to stay busy, whether through his job as an assistant store manager at Target or with professional and charitable organizations. The 27-year-old has been recognized as a go-getter and was nominated to participate in Leadership Pinebelt, an Area Development Partnership program that helps young professionals sharpen their leadership skills.

His Leadership Pinebelt team this year started Pine Belt Eats — a collaboration among Corner Market grocery stores and area food banks. The project allows shoppers to pick up extra nonperishable food items and donate them at checkout. The food later is distributed throughout the Pine Belt.

The project is designed to supplement the food sources of the food banks. The group has collected around 550 pounds of food this year.

Harris plunges in head-first wherever he is needed, often leading the charge.

"Darryl was particularly active when we were raising funds for tornado relief," said Steve Ramp, a Greater PineBelt Community Foundation board member. "He volunteered actively and was very involved in all the fundraisers we organized."

Harris was elected to the foundation's board of directors with his term set to begin in January, but Harris recently accepted a position with a new company in Dallas and will be leaving the Pine Belt.

"He would have been a great board member," Ramp said. "We will miss him greatly."

In 2016, Harris began to get heavily involved in community service. He started a fundraiser to help with the Flint, Michigan, water crisis. The effort raised $20,000.

Following major flooding in Crosby and Baton Rouge, he led a group that raised money and gathered supplies for the flood victims. The team gathered thousands of pounds of food and generated around 260 volunteer hours in one day.

"It was really impactful," he said.

To further help flood victims, Harris organized a partnership with the physical plant at Southern Miss.

"It allowed us to get a lot of resources very quickly," he said.

The group helped rebuild houses, clean out flood-damaged homes and whatever else needed to be done.

Because of his efforts he was asked to be an advisory member for the Greater PineBelt Community Foundation.

Through Target, Harris led another team to help with outreach after the Jan. 21 tornado. The team helped raise money for impacted Target team members and was able to give money and merchants' gift carts to affected community members, especially teachers in Petal, so they could shop for new school supplies after some of the city's schools were damaged by the tornado and rain.

In addition, around 1,200 pairs of shoes were donated to Christian Services to help tornado victims.

Harris was tapped to be a speaker at this year's community engagement summit at Southern Miss, so he could share how he manages to balance work, family and volunteer efforts.

He was also awarded the Governor’s Initiative Volunteer Excellence Award, which recognizes the state's top volunteers, and the Pine Belt Young Professionals' Community Service Award.

"My goal is to always find out how my role coincides with the community," Harris said.

Harris came from humble beginnings. He is the first of his family to attend college.

"I grew up in a single-parent household with siblings," he said. "It was a pretty unique experience. I never knew anything about going to college and getting an education until I was about a junior in high school.

"I was the class clown. I was really smart and finished my work early. When I was in school, I used my down time to crack jokes and make people laugh. I'd get in trouble for that."

After graduating from Vicksburg High School, Harris first attended Jackson State University, but felt he needed a different environment to complete his education.

"I realized it had a lot of similar surroundings I had when I was growing up," he said. "I wanted to stretch myself, to get out of my comfort zone."

He said his girlfriend at the time attended Southern Miss, so he thought he would give Hattiesburg a try.

Harris wasn't accepted into the university until a week before school started, so he was put on a wait list for a dorm room. Because he was No. 75 on that list, it was a long wait.

"I slept in my car, I was sleeping on people's floors — just to get an education," he said. "I know what it's like to be down and out and not have a support system."

That experience not only made him appreciate his education all the more, but it led him to be more compassionate toward others in need.

"Whenever I see someone less fortunate, I jump in to help however I can," he said. "I give my time and resources to the community for God says, 'Give and it shall be given unto you.'

"Whether it is time, sweat or financial resources, we cannot receive anything unless we give first."

Harris became very active on campus He was elected Student Government Association senator for the College of Business, served on the Business Student Advisory Council and was a member of Eagle Connection and the Phi Chi Honor Society.

He worked 40 hours a week at Target and managed to squeeze in some marketing internships while working toward his degree.

"I developed a great work ethic while in college," he said.

Harris was promoted up the ranks at Target, where he is now an assistant store manager.

He led the Hattiesburg store's remodeling while still in school — taking 18 credit hours — and still made the university's Dean's List.

Harris was instrumental in getting a community foundation fund set up for his church, Word of Faith Christian Center, as well as scholarship funds to help other students.

"He is a very generous person," Ramp said. "And despite all his accomplishments he is very humble."

Darryl Harris

Residence: Hattiesburg; formerly of Vicksburg

Age: 27

Occupation: Assistant store manager at Target

Education: Bachelor's degree in international business, minor in psychology, University of Southern Mississippi, 2014; started work on a master's degree in economic development

Civic, professional affiliations: Recent graduate of ADP's Leadership Pine Belt; development committee member with the Greater PineBelt Community Foundation; volunteer committee member with the United Way of Southeast Mississippi; keeper of records for Hattiesburg chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.; Pine Belt Young Professionals

Family: Wife, Felicia Harris, 27; and daughter, Venice, 2 months

Best piece of advice for other young professionals: "I truly believe that if you take care of your community regardless of what business or organization you are with — if you take care of your community, then your community will take care of your business."

Top 12 Under 40

The Pine Belt is full of young professionals who have achieved career success, all while making a difference in their community. On the third Sunday of each month, the Hattiesburg American will recognize one of these young professionals as part of our Top 12 Under 40.